Is Apple to Blame for Crime Rate Increase in New York?

Attention citizens of New York, be careful where you wield your iPhone, lest you make yourself a target for thieves. The crime rate is up in New York City, and according to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, the reasons is because of the number of iPhone and iPad thefts that have occurred.

A rise in thefts of Apple devices directly contributed to a slight bump in New York City's annual crime index, a statistic that also includes some big time felonies such as murder and grand larceny. As of Monday, there have been 3,484 more major crimes in 2012 compared to last year. In the same time period, Apple product thefts increased by 3,890, more than offsetting the rise in crime.

"If you just took away the jump in Apple, we'd be down for the year," Marc La Vorgna, the mayor's press secretary, told The New York Times.

So, what can you do if you live in New York City and own an Apple device? Bloomberg recommends placing mobile gear in tight-fitting pockets so that you can feel it being removed. Citizens should also be extra careful on the subway, where crime rates spiked significantly because of thieves targeting high-tech devices.